If you haven’t thought about the federal election taking place on Sept. 20, now is the time to start.
There are just a few days left of the short campaign, and then it’s up to all of us. Democracy doesn’t work without millions of Canadians getting out and voting — and that means you.
We are perennially disappointed with the number of people who use their right to vote. Because it’s also a responsibility.
Even though it is incredibly easy for Canadians, barring odd glitches, to cast their ballots, there are far too many of us who are just too darned lazy to do it. Unlike other countries where people prize the ability to vote so deeply that they will camp outside polling places for days, often after walking long distances to get there, risking violence from anti-democratic forces just to have that chance to mark their ballot, far too many Canadians can’t be bothered to walk into their nearest polling place, mark a quick “x” and go on with their day. For many, including folks in Cowichan, there isn’t even a lineup of 10 or 15 minutes. And forget about taking a few minutes to get the highlights of the party platforms.
That’s not even mentioning the opportunity you had to vote in advance polls, if election day voting wasn’t convenient for you. And if you didn’t want to head to a polling place you also had the chance to get a ballot and vote by mail.
Here at the Citizen we’ve tried to make it even easier for you. We’ve published candidate profiles, let you know about candidates debates if you wanted to ask a specific question or get a better look at the candidates for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, and in today’s edition you can take a look at our Voter’s Guide on page 13. It includes a last look at all of our candidates: Alistair MacGregor, NDP; Alana DeLong, Conservative; Blair Herbert, Liberal; Lia Versaevel, Green; and Mark Hecht, People’s Party. Surely you can find something about one of them that resonates with you.
Our country is facing many challenges, from climate change to COVID recovery, needed changes to seniors care to deepening inequality and unaffordability. If you have thoughts or feelings about any of these issues, we urge you to find a platform that reflects your views and get out and vote for it.
Whether you wanted there to be an election this fall or not, there is one.
This is about having a say in your future. It’s worth the minimal time and effort.
